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Only thing to fear is NRA’s fear tactic itself John Watson Commentary

First Posted: 4/8/2012

Lindo Sabatini is the owner of Sabatini's Pizza in Exeter. Sabatini, 38, graduated from Wyoming Seminary High School and attended Cabrini College in Radnor, Pa. He and his wife, Maria, have a son, Savino, 4, and daughter, Sofia, 6. They are expecting their third child, Santo, at the end of the month. They live in Exeter.

The restaurant has been in your family for a long time. What is some of the background of the establishment and your history with it? "It dates back to 1958. That is when my grandfather, John, started the restaurant. It has been in the family for three generations. My father, Joe, took it over in the 1970s. I worked at Sabatini's all through high school. I never saw a Friday night football game as I worked weekends and some during the week. In 1995, after college, I worked full time in the kitchen and dining room and I never left. I also worked next door for our entertainment arcade, the Play Plaza, for many years. In 2005 I bought the restaurant from my father and have loved running the business ever since. My manager, John Rallo, has been with me from the beginning and is my left and right hand man as he handles a great deal of the daily concerns at the restaurant."

 So is Sabatini's your lifelong employer and business or did you do other jobs growing up? "Growing up I worked at Sabatini's and can remember making pizza boxes with my brother and trying to see who could finish folding a stack first. As I got older I worked at maybe seven different banquet or fine dining restaurants. I wanted to become well-rounded in the industry as I began to realize it was going to be a big part of my life. There was a time from 1991 to 1995 that I also worked with a construction company. I also helped run a small landscaping business with my brother Nick at one point, too."

The construction and landscaping jobs may lead one to believe you have an interest in real estate. Do you dabble in that industry at all? "I actually own and manage two real estate companies currently. They deal with commercial and residential properties and I oversee all of their daily operations."

What do you do on any down time you may get? "I work over 90 hours a week. When I get some free time I like to spend it with my wife and kids. I like to take the family anywhere we can be together."

Where have you visited when traveling? "We have family in Italy and have traveled there several times on various trips. Once we went there for a wedding. Last September we visited Belgium and I got to see how breweries worked there. I learned a lot about brewing processes and proper serving etiquette. I have been implementing some of that etiquette into the daily operation of Sabatini's. We have over 400 beers and 80 of them originate from Belgium."

What about when you are away from the family. Do you like to participate in any activities? "I really enjoy playing soccer at the Riverfront Sports Facility in Scranton. I play in a men's open league where we compete against college-aged players. It's great fun."

Do you have a favorite drink or food? "It's what we serve of course. Pizza and beer are my favorite. I am partial to Belgian I.P.A. beer."

Do you have any favorite films or television shows? "The film I like is more a part of tradition, in a humorous way. I would get together with my brothers Nick and Carlo and watch 'Boondock Saints' before all of our weddings. That movie relieved some of the nervousness for us before our big days."

Do you have any favorite singers or music that you enjoy? "I like all types of music. I really like most everything and I am an avid WVIA listener."

What do people have to look forward to from Sabatini's in the future? "Customers and the people that frequent our location are a huge part of what I love about my job and business. I enjoy the interaction and that becomes very evident at our Tap Takeovers that we hold on specific Wednesdays throughout a year. We will serve beers from a particular brewery and the events are very successful. We once had close to 250 people at one of the occasions."

Meet Lindo Sabatini